Vehicle seat control system

ABSTRACT

An apparatus includes a mode switching unit configured to switch a driving mode of a vehicle from a first driving mode to a second driving mode different from the first driving mode, or from the second driving mode to the first driving mode; and a changing unit configured to (i) change a position of a first seat of the vehicle, in a case in which the first driving mode is switched to the second driving mode by the mode switching unit, and (ii) change the position of the first seat to a position which is occupied by a second seat different from the first seat during the second driving mode, in a case in which the second driving mode is switched to the first driving mode by the mode switching unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/182,715filed Jun. 15, 2016, which claims priority under 35 USC 119 fromJapanese Patent Application No. 2015-147839, filed on Jul. 27, 2015. Theentire disclosure of each of the above-identified applications isincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat control system disposedin a vehicle and can change a seat arrangement.

Related Art

There are technologies by which the seat arrangement, including thepositions and facing directions, of plural seats installed in anautomobile can be changed to various seat arrangements.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (JP-A) No.2001-347859 discloses a vehicle seat equipped with a seat device, a longslide device that moves the seat device between a driver's seat positionand a rear seat position, seat height changing means for changing, inthe driver's seat position, the seat device to a lower position than inthe same occupant seat position, and a lift-up device that moves theseat device outside the cabin in a rear seat position. Because of this,in the technology disclosed in JP-A No. 2001-347859, the seat device canbe moved into and out of the vehicle via a door opening for the rearseat where the steering wheel does not get in the way.

Furthermore, in recent years, a variety of technologies relating toautonomous driving have been proposed. Technologies have also beenannounced by which the seat arrangement can be changed to a face-to-faceseat arrangement in which, in the autonomous driving mode, the seat inwhich the driver sits faces the opposite direction (rearward direction)of the vehicle traveling direction such that the driver faces anoccupant in a seat on the vehicle rear side.

However, in an autonomous vehicle whose seat arrangement can be changedto a face-to-face seat arrangement, when the seat in which the driversits is rotated to face the vehicle traveling direction when the vehicleis switched from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode,the driver needs time to redirect his/her mental faculties and adjusthis/her sense of physical orientation before becoming accustomed to thebehavior of the vehicle and the scenery. For that reason, it is notalways the case that the occupant seated in the driver's seat issuitable to be the driver when the vehicle is switched to the manualdriving mode.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a vehicle seat control system that mayshorten the amount of time it takes to reach a state suitable fordriving when switching from the autonomous driving mode to the manualdriving mode.

A first aspect is a vehicle seat control system of a vehicle having aplurality of seats, the control system including: a driving control unitthat switches the vehicle between an autonomous driving mode and amanual driving mode; a changing unit that changes positions and facingdirections of the plurality seats whose positions and facing directionsrelative to the vehicle are changeable; and a control unit that controlsthe changing unit such that (i) in a case in which the driving controlunit switches the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manualdriving mode, a first seat in which a first occupant who is a driver ofthe vehicle sits is controlled to face in a vehicle traveling directionand is located in a predetermined driving position upon completion ofentry into the manual driving mode, and (ii) in a case in which thedriving control unit switches the vehicle from the manual driving modeto the autonomous driving mode, the first seat is controlled to face inthe vehicle traveling direction, and one or both of the position and thefacing direction of another seat is changed upon completion of entryinto the autonomous driving mode without the other seat interfering withthe first seat.

According to the first aspect, the driving control unit switches thevehicle between the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode.

The changing unit changes the positions and facing directions of theseats, whose positions and facing directions relative to the vehicle canbe changed. Namely, the seat arrangement of the vehicle can be changedby the changing unit.

Additionally, the control unit controls the changing unit such that, inthe case in which the driving control unit switches the vehicle from theautonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode, the first seat inwhich the first occupant who is a driver of the vehicle sits faces inthe vehicle traveling direction and is located in the predetermineddriving position, and in the case in which the driving control unitswitches the vehicle from the manual driving mode to the autonomousdriving mode, the first seat faces in the vehicle traveling directionand one or both of the position and the facing direction of the otherseat is changed without the other seat interfering with the first seat.Accordingly, the first seat in which the driver sits faces in thevehicle traveling direction even in the autonomous driving mode, suchthat, when switching to the manual driving mode, the time the driverneeds to redirect his/her mental faculties and adjust his/her sense ofphysical orientation may be shortened. Consequently, the first aspectmay shorten the amount of time to reach a state suitable for driving ina case of switching from the autonomous driving mode to the manualdriving mode.

A second aspect includes the above first aspect, wherein the pluralseats may be four seats placed with two of the seats in a vehicle frontrow and another two of the seats in a vehicle rear row, with the drivingposition being on one predetermined side in a vehicle width directionand in the vehicle front row, and in the case in which the drivingcontrol unit switches the vehicle from the manual driving mode to theautonomous driving mode, the control unit may control the changing unitsuch that the first seat faces in the vehicle traveling direction and islocated in the vehicle rear row upon completion of entry into theautonomous driving mode.

A third aspect includes the above first aspect, wherein the plural seatsmay be four seats placed with two of the seats in a vehicle front rowand another two of the seats in a vehicle rear row, with the drivingposition being on one predetermined side in a vehicle width directionand in the vehicle front row, in the case in which the driving controlunit switches the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manualdriving mode, the control unit may control the changing unit such thatthe first seat faces in the vehicle traveling direction and is locatedin the driving position, a second seat in which a second occupant sitsfaces in the vehicle traveling direction and is located in the vehiclefront row on a side opposite the one predetermined side, a third seat inwhich a third occupant sits faces in the vehicle traveling direction andis located in the vehicle rear row on the side opposite the onepredetermined side, and a fourth seat in which a fourth occupant sitsfaces in the vehicle traveling direction and is located in the vehiclerear row on the one predetermined side upon completion of entry into themanual driving mode, and in the case in which the driving control unitswitches the vehicle from the manual driving mode to the autonomousdriving mode, the control unit may control the changing unit such thatthe first seat faces in the vehicle traveling direction and is locatedin the vehicle rear row on the one predetermined side, the second seatfaces in an opposite direction of the vehicle traveling direction and islocated in the vehicle front row on the one predetermined side, thethird seat faces in the opposite direction of the vehicle travelingdirection and is located in the vehicle front row on the side oppositethe one predetermined side, and the fourth seat faces in the vehicletraveling direction and is located in the vehicle rear row on the sideopposite the one predetermined side, upon completion of entry into theautonomous driving mode.

A fourth aspect includes any of the above aspects, and may furtherinclude a reading unit that reads, from the occupants riding in thevehicle, information relating to a suitability of the occupants to drivethe vehicle, and, in the case in which the driving control unit switchesthe vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode,the control unit may (1) select, based on reading results of the readingunit, an occupant who is suitable to drive from among the occupantsriding in the vehicle, (2) set the seat in which the selected occupantis sitting as the first seat, and (3) control the changing unit based onthe seat that has been set as the first seat. Accordingly, the fourthaspect may select an occupant who is suitable to drive as the driver andmove the seats when switching from the autonomous driving mode to themanual driving mode.

A fifth aspect includes the above first to third aspects, and mayfurther include a reading unit that reads, from the occupants riding inthe vehicle, information relating to a suitability of the occupants todrive the vehicle and a detection unit that detects the positions andfacing directions of the seats, wherein in the case in which the drivingcontrol unit switches the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode tothe manual driving mode, the control unit may (1) select, based onreading results of the reading unit and detection results of thedetection unit, an occupant who is suitable to drive from among theoccupants riding in the vehicle, (2) set the seat in which the selectedoccupant is sitting as the first seat, and (3) control the changing unitbased on the seat that has been set as the first seat. Accordingly, thefifth aspect may select an occupant who is suitable to drive inconsideration of the positions and facing directions of the seats.

As described above, the above aspects provide a vehicle seat controlsystem that may shorten the amount of time it takes to reach a statesuitable for driving when switching from the autonomous driving mode tothe manual driving mode.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment will be described in detail based on thefollowing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of avehicle seat control system according to the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2A is a drawing showing a normal seat arrangement in which seatshave not changed positions or facing directions;

FIG. 2B is a drawing showing the positions and facing directions of theseats being changed when switching to an autonomous driving mode;

FIG. 2C is a drawing showing a face-to-face seat arrangement;

FIG. 3A is drawing showing the face-to-face seat arrangement;

FIG. 3B is a drawing showing the positions and facing directions of theseats being changed when switching to a manual driving mode;

FIG. 3C is a drawing showing the normal seat arrangement;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process performed by anautonomous driving control unit of the vehicle seat control systemaccording to the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a modification ofthe vehicle seat control system according to the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a table for describing evaluation values according to thepositions and facing directions of the seats;

FIG. 7A is a drawing showing a seat arrangement, in the autonomousdriving mode, in which the seat in which the driver sits faces thevehicle traveling direction in a position on the vehicle rear side onthe vehicle width direction opposite side of a driving position;

FIG. 7B is a drawing showing a seat arrangement in which the seat inwhich the driver sits faces the vehicle traveling direction in aposition on the vehicle front side on the vehicle width directionopposite side of the driving position;

FIG. 8A is a drawing showing plural seats placed in a single row in thevehicle width direction; and

FIG. 8B is a drawing showing plural seats placed in a single row in thevehicle front and rear direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described indetail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagramshowing the schematic configuration of a vehicle seat control system 10according to the present exemplary embodiment.

The vehicle seat control system 10 according to the present exemplaryembodiment is equipped with an autonomous driving control unit 12serving as a driving control unit and a control unit, a surroundingsdetection system 14, and a seat position changing unit 28 serving as achanging unit. The autonomous driving control unit 12, the surroundingsdetection system 14, and the seat position changing unit 28 areconnected to an on-board network 38.

The autonomous driving control unit 12 is configured by a microcomputer(electronic control unit (ECU)) including a central processing unit(CPU), a read-only memory (ROM), and a random access memory (RAM).Furthermore, brake lights 32, auxiliary devices (e.g., turn signals,front headlamps, wiper devices, etc.) 34, and actuators 36 are connectedto the autonomous driving control unit 12. The autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 controls autonomous driving by deploying in the RAM andexecuting with the CPU a program stored beforehand in the ROM andcontrolling the actions of the brake lights 32, the auxiliary devices34, and the actuators 36. Note that the autonomous driving control unit12 may also be configured from plural electronic control units.

The autonomous driving control unit 12 specifically controls theswitching of the vehicle between an autonomous driving mode, in whichthe autonomous driving control unit 12 determines the surroundings ofthe vehicle and the situation of the vehicle and controls the vehicle,and a manual driving mode, in which the vehicle is driven by anoccupant. In the autonomous driving mode, in order to allow the vehicleto travel autonomously, the autonomous driving control unit 12determines the host vehicle and its surroundings on the basis ofinformation obtained from the surroundings detection system 14, whichincludes various sensors and surroundings imaging cameras. Additionally,the autonomous driving control unit 12 performs an autonomous drivingcontrol process that controls the actuators 36, which control how muchthe accelerator pedal is depressed, how much the brake pedal isdepressed, and the steering angle in accordance with the determinationresults. In the autonomous driving control process, the autonomousdriving control unit 12 generates, on the basis of the surroundings ofthe vehicle and map information, a travel plan following a preset targetroute and controls driving such that the vehicle travels autonomously inaccordance with the generated travel plan.

Furthermore, the autonomous driving control unit 12 can storeinformation indicating the state of travel operations of the vehicle andoutput the stored information indicating the state of travel operationsof the vehicle. The information representing the state of traveloperations of the vehicle is information indicating the manual drivingstate, in which the vehicle is manually driven by an occupant, orinformation indicating the autonomous driving state, in which thevehicle is automatically driven by the autonomous driving control unit12.

Furthermore, the autonomous driving control unit 12 outputspredetermined information relating to assisting the driving of thevehicle. Examples of the predetermined information include informationindicating the start of the autonomous driving control process andinformation indicating the end of the autonomous driving controlprocess.

For example, in the manual driving mode in which the vehicle is drivenby an occupant, the autonomous driving control unit 12 can automaticallystart the autonomous driving control process depending on the behaviorof the vehicle and the surroundings to assist the driving of the vehicleby the occupant. In this case, the autonomous driving control unit 12outputs the information indicating the start of the autonomous drivingcontrol process. Furthermore, when the autonomous driving control unit12 is instructed by the occupant to switch from the manual driving modein which the vehicle is driven by the occupant to the autonomous drivingmode in which the vehicle is driven by the autonomous driving controlprocess, the autonomous driving control unit 12 outputs information(predetermined information indicating the start of the autonomousdriving control process) indicating that a handover of the drivingresponsibility will take place.

Furthermore, while executing the autonomous driving control process, theautonomous driving control unit 12 can perform a process thatautomatically ends (cancels) the autonomous driving control processdepending on the behavior of the vehicle and the surroundings andprompts the occupant to manually drive the vehicle. In this case, theautonomous driving control unit 12 outputs information indicating theend of the autonomous driving control process in order to prompt theoccupant to manually drive the vehicle. Furthermore, when the autonomousdriving control unit 12 is instructed by the occupant to switch from theautonomous driving mode in which the vehicle is driven by the autonomousdriving control process to the manual driving mode in which the vehicleis driven by the occupant, the autonomous driving control unit 12outputs information (predetermined information indicating the end of theautonomous driving control process) indicating that a handover of thedriving responsibility will take place.

Note that the autonomous driving control unit 12 may include acommunication device by which information relating, for example, to thesurroundings of the vehicle is transmitted between the vehicle and theoutside of the vehicle. Examples of the communication device include acommunication device that receives information relating to roadconditions by road-to-vehicle communication, such as a wirelesscommunication device utilizing dedicated short-range communications(DSRC). Furthermore, examples of information relating to road conditions(the surroundings of the vehicle) and received by road-to-vehiclecommunication include information indicating the curvature of slowlanes, the shape and condition of lanes and roads such as road cant, thepositional relationship of the vehicle relative to lanes, the positionalrelationships of other vehicles that are traveling, and the trafficvolume in the area around the vehicle. Furthermore, the autonomousdriving control unit 12 can include a navigation system as an example ofa device for obtaining information relating to the surroundings of thevehicle.

The surroundings detection system 14 has several types of sensors andsurroundings imaging cameras and detects the surroundings of the vehiclein order for the autonomous driving control unit 12 to autonomouslydrive the vehicle. The surroundings detection system 14 detects, as thesurroundings of the vehicle, imaging information captured by thesurroundings imaging cameras, obstacle information acquired by radar,and obstacle information acquired by laser imaging detection and ranging(LIDAR). The surroundings include, for example, the positions of thewhite line markings of a slow lane relative to the vehicle, the positionof the lane center, the road width, the road shape, and the situation ofobstacles around the vehicle. Note that examples of the road shapeinclude the curvature of slow lanes, changes in road surface gradeeffective for sensor estimation, and undulations. Furthermore, examplesof the situation of obstacles around the vehicle include informationdistinguishing between stationary obstacles and moving obstacles, theposition of an obstacle relative to the vehicle, the moving direction ofan obstacle relative to the vehicle, and the relative velocity of anobstacle relative to the vehicle.

The seat position changing unit 28 includes actuators for changing thefacing directions and positions of plural (in the present exemplaryembodiment, four) seats that are disposed in the vehicle and whosepositions and facing directions can be changed. Namely, the seatarrangement can be changed by the seat position changing unit 28. In thepresent exemplary embodiment, the seats are placed in two rows each inthe vehicle width direction and the vehicle front and rear direction,and the seat position changing unit 28 changes the positions and facingdirections of the seats.

In the present exemplary embodiment, when the autonomous driving controlunit 12 switches the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to themanual driving mode, the autonomous driving control unit 12 controls theseat position changing unit 28 so as to change the seat arrangement to amanual driving mode seat arrangement. Furthermore, when the autonomousdriving control unit 12 switches the vehicle from the manual drivingmode to the autonomous driving mode, the autonomous driving control unit12 also controls the seat position changing unit 28 so as to change theseat arrangement to an autonomous driving mode seat arrangement.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the seat arrangement shown in FIG.2C is applied as the autonomous driving mode seat arrangement, and theseat arrangement shown in FIG. 3C is applied as the manual driving modeseat arrangement. Namely, when switching to the autonomous driving mode,the seat position changing unit 28 rotates the facing directions of theseats positioned on the vehicle front and rear side on the vehicle widthdirection opposite side of a predetermined driving position and moveseach seat clockwise along a rail L (FIG. 2B) from a normal seatarrangement (the arrangement shown in FIG. 2A in which all the seatsface the vehicle traveling direction). Because of this, the seatarrangement can be changed to a face-to-face seat arrangement in whichthe seats on the vehicle front side face the opposite direction of thevehicle traveling direction and the seats on the vehicle rear side facethe vehicle traveling direction (FIG. 2C). In the example shown in FIG.2A to FIG. 2C, the rail L on which the seats move is disposed, and thepositions of the seats relative to the vehicle can be changed along therail L. When switching to the manual driving mode, the seat positionchanging unit 28 rotates the facing directions of the seats positionedon the vehicle front side and moves each seat counter-clockwise alongthe rail L (FIG. 3B) from the face-to-face seat arrangement shown inFIG. 3A. Because of this, as shown in FIG. 3C, the seat arrangement canbe returned to the normal seat arrangement. Note that, when changing thefacing directions and positions of the seats, the seat position changingunit 28 does so without the seats interfering with each other.Furthermore, in FIG. 2A to FIG. 3C, the seat in which the driver sits isindicated by a dot pattern.

In this way, in the present exemplary embodiment, when the autonomousdriving control unit 12 switches the vehicle to the manual driving mode,the autonomous driving control unit 12 controls the seat positionchanging unit 28 such that a first seat in which a first occupant who isa driver sits faces the vehicle traveling direction on one predeterminedside in the vehicle width direction on the vehicle front side, a secondseat in which a second occupant sits faces the vehicle travelingdirection in a position on the vehicle front side on the other side (theside opposite the one predetermined side), a third seat in which a thirdoccupant sits faces the vehicle traveling direction in a position on thevehicle rear side on the other side, and a fourth seat in which a fourthoccupant sits faces the vehicle traveling direction in a position on thevehicle rear side on the one predetermined side. Further, when theautonomous driving control unit 12 switches the vehicle to theautonomous driving mode, the autonomous driving control unit 12 controlsthe seat position changing unit 28 such that the first seat (in whichthe driver is seated) faces the vehicle traveling direction in aposition on the vehicle rear side on the one predetermined side, thesecond seat faces the opposite direction of the vehicle travelingdirection in a position on the vehicle front side on the onepredetermined side, the third seat faces the opposite direction of thevehicle traveling direction in a position on the vehicle front side onthe other side, and the fourth seat faces the vehicle travelingdirection in a position on the vehicle rear side on the other side.

Note that, in the present exemplary embodiment, the predetermineddriving position is a predetermined position, among the positions of thefour seats, in the cabin where a steering or other maneuvering system isdisposed, and corresponds to the driving position in a typical vehicle.In the case of a right-hand-drive car that travels on the left side of aroad, the predetermined driving position corresponds to a position nearthe center of the road on the vehicle front side.

Next, a specific process performed by the autonomous driving controlunit 12 of the vehicle seat control system 10 according to the presentexemplary embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing aflow of the process performed by the autonomous driving control unit 12of the vehicle seat control system 10 according to the present exemplaryembodiment. Note that the process in FIG. 4 starts, for example, when anignition switch (not shown in the drawings) is switched ON.

In step 100 the autonomous driving control unit 12 sets a seat for thedriver, and then the autonomous driving control unit 12 proceeds to step102. In the present exemplary embodiment, the autonomous driving controlunit 12 sets any seat of the four seats as the seat for the driver. Forexample, the autonomous driving control unit 12 sets, as the seat forthe driver, the seat in the position where the steering or othermaneuvering system is located. The autonomous driving control unit 12may also have an occupant operate a control panel (not shown in thedrawings) and set the seat for the driver.

In step 102 the autonomous driving control unit 12 determines whether ornot to switch to the autonomous driving mode. For example, theautonomous driving control unit 12 determines whether or not an event inwhich it outputs the information indicating the start of the autonomousdriving control process or the information indicating the end of theautonomous driving control process has occurred. When an event in whichthe autonomous driving control unit 12 outputs the informationindicating the start of the autonomous driving control process hasoccurred, an affirmative determination is made and the autonomousdriving control unit 12 proceeds to step 104, and when an event in whichthe autonomous driving control unit 12 outputs the informationindicating the end of the autonomous driving control process hasoccurred, a negative determination is made and the autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 proceeds to step 106.

In step 104 the autonomous driving control unit 12 controls the seatposition changing unit 28 so as to change the seat arrangement to theautonomous driving mode seat arrangement, and then the autonomousdriving control unit 12 proceeds to step 108. Namely, the seat positionchanging unit 28 rotates the facing directions of the seats positionedon the vehicle front and rear side on the vehicle width directionopposite side of the predetermined driving position, and moves each seatclockwise along the rail L as shown in FIG. 2B from the normal seatarrangement (a seat arrangement in which all the seats face the vehicletraveling direction) shown in FIG. 2A. Furthermore, when moving eachseat, the seat position changing unit 28 changes the positions andfacing directions of the seats without the seats interfering with eachother. Because of this, as shown in FIG. 2C, the seat arrangement ischanged to the face-to-face seat arrangement in which the seats on thevehicle front side face the opposite direction of the vehicle travelingdirection and the seats on the vehicle rear side face the vehicletraveling direction. In this way, in the autonomous driving mode seatarrangement, the driver can relax because the driver moves to a positionon the vehicle rear side while facing the vehicle traveling direction.Furthermore, when the vehicle is switched back to the manual drivingmode and the driver resumes driving, the burden of redirecting his/hermental faculties and adjusting his/her sense of physical orientation canbe alleviated because the driver is already facing the vehicle travelingdirection, and it becomes possible to safely switch between drivingmodes.

In step 106 the autonomous driving control unit 12 controls the seatposition changing unit 28 so as to change the seat arrangement to themanual driving mode seat arrangement, and then the autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 proceeds to step 108. Namely, the seat position changingunit 28 rotates the facing directions of the seats positioned on thevehicle front side and moves each seat counter-clockwise along the railL as shown in FIG. 3B from the face-to-face seat arrangement shown inFIG. 3A. Furthermore, when moving the seats, the seat position changingunit 28 changes the positions and facing directions of the seats withoutthe seats interfering with each other. Because of this, as shown in FIG.3C, the seat arrangement can be returned to the normal seat arrangement.In this way, in the manual driving mode seat arrangement, the drivermoves to a position on the vehicle front side while facing the vehicletraveling direction, so the amount of time the driver needs to redirecthis/her mental faculties and adjust his/her sense of physicalorientation can be shortened, and the driver can quickly shift to adrivable state. Consequently, the present exemplary embodiment mayalleviate the burden of redirecting one's mental faculties and adjustingone's sense of physical orientation, and may safely switch betweendriving modes.

In step 108 the autonomous driving control unit 12 determines whether ornot to switch driving modes. The autonomous driving control unit 12determines whether or not an event in which it outputs the informationindicating the start of the autonomous driving control process or theinformation indicating the end of the autonomous driving control processhas occurred. When an affirmative determination is made, the autonomousdriving control unit 12 returns to step 102 and repeats the processesdescribed above, and when a negative determination is made, theautonomous driving control unit 12 proceeds to step 110.

In step 110 the autonomous driving control unit 12 determines whether ornot the ignition switch not shown in the drawings has been switched OFF.When a negative determination is made, the autonomous driving controlunit 12 returns to step 102 and repeats the processes described above,and when an affirmative determination is made, the autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 ends the processes.

Note that, in the above exemplary embodiment, as a method to set theseat for the driver, the autonomous driving control unit 12 sets theseat located in the position where the maneuvering system is located atthe time when the ignition switch is switched ON or the seat set using acontrol panel or the like. However, the setting method is not limited tothis. For example, when shifting from the manual driving mode to theautonomous driving mode, the autonomous driving control unit 12 may alsoread information relating to the suitability of the occupants to driveand select a driver (namely, the seat for the driver) on the basis ofthe reading results.

Here, an example will be described where the autonomous driving controlunit 12 selects the driver. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing theconfiguration of a modification of the vehicle seat control system 10according to the above exemplary embodiment. Note that detaileddescription regarding configurations that are the same as those in theabove exemplary embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, in this modification, the vehicle seat controlsystem 10 according to the above exemplary embodiment is furtherequipped with a configuration for reading various types of informationrelating to the occupants as conditions for determining whether or notthe occupants are suitable to be the driver. Specifically, alcoholsensors 16, a camera 18, a microphone 20, heart rate sensors 22, adisplay/control panel 24, and a database (DB) 26 are disposed as areading unit and are connected to the on-board network 38.

The alcohol sensors 16 are disposed in positions, such as, for example,in the headrests, where it is easy to detect the breath of theoccupants. The alcohol sensors 16 detect whether or not the occupantssitting in the seats have been drinking alcohol.

The camera 18 is disposed in a position, such as, for example, in theceiling of the cabin, where it can capture images of the facialexpressions of the occupants sitting in the seats. The camera 18captures images of the occupants. In this modification, the autonomousdriving control unit 12 determines the physical condition of theoccupants from the complexions and facial expressions of the occupantsusing the images captured by the camera 18. Furthermore, the autonomousdriving control unit 12 may also use the images captured by the camera18 for face authentication to identify the occupants riding in thevehicle.

The microphone 20 is disposed in a position where it can detect thevoices of the occupants sitting in the seats. The microphone 20 detectsthe voices of the occupants. In this modification, the autonomousdriving control unit 12 detects whether or not the occupants want todrive by having the occupants say toward the microphone 20 whether ornot they want to drive. Note that the microphone 20 may also be used forvoice authentication by voice recognition and to input various types ofinformation.

The heart rate sensors 22 are disposed in the seats and detect the heartrates of the occupants. In this modification, the autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 determines the physical condition of the occupants byusing the heart rate sensors 22 to detect the heart rates of theoccupants.

The display/control panel 24 is disposed in the center console sectionin the cabin, for example, in a position where the occupants sitting inthe seats can operate the display/control panel 24 and see what isdisplayed on the display/control panel 24. The display/control panel 24is equipped with keys and switches for inputting various types ofinformation and is also equipped with a display such as a monitor thatdisplays various types of information. A touch panel in which a displayand a control panel are integrated, for example, may also be applied asthe display/control panel 24.

The database 26 stores, as a database, information input by theoccupants operating the display/control panel 24. For example, thedatabase 26 stores various types of personal information, such aswhether or not the occupants have a driver's license, individualcharacteristics, preferences, and driving skills. Note that, in regardto the information stored in the database 26 that the autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 may also be configured to acquire information stored ina cloud-based or other external server database. The autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 may also acquire information from a cloud database andstore the information in the database 26.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, a communication control unit 30 mayalso be connected to the on-board network 38. By connecting thecommunication control unit 30, the vehicle seat control system 10 maycommunicate with a cloud-based or other server via a mobile telephonecommunication network or other network and for various types ofinformation to be transmitted between the vehicle seat control system 10and the external server.

As mentioned above, the positions and facing directions of the seats canbe changed by the seat position changing unit 28, but when shifting fromthe autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode, it is not alwaysthe case that the previous driver is suitable to drive.

Therefore, in this modification, the autonomous driving control unit 12is configured to read, from the occupants, various types of informationrelating to the occupants and select an occupant who is suitable to bethe next driver. For example, the autonomous driving control unit 12reads, from the occupants, information relating to the suitability ofthe occupants to drive. This information is at least one of personalinformation including whether or not the occupants have a driver'slicense, whether or not the occupants have been drinking alcohol, thephysical condition of the occupants, the facing directions and positionsof the seats, the occupants' driving skills relating to the travelroute, driving distribution, and whether or not the occupants want todrive.

Specifically, in this modification, the autonomous driving control unit12 utilizes, as determination conditions, whether or not the occupantshave a driver's license, whether or not the occupants have been drinkingalcohol, the physical condition of the occupants, the facing directionsand the positions of the seats, the occupants' driving skills relatingto the travel route, driving distribution, and whether or not theoccupants want to drive, evaluates the occupants using predeterminedevaluation values, and selects an occupant who is suitable to drive fromamong the occupants riding in the vehicle. Note that, in regard to theabove determination conditions, it is not necessary to include all thedetermination conditions, and the determination conditions may beappropriately combined. For example, the autonomous driving control unit12 may evaluate the occupants using determination conditions excludingthe facing directions and positions of the seats, or may apply othercombinations.

In this modification, as shown in FIG. 6, regarding whether or not theoccupants have a driver's license, information indicating this isregistered beforehand in the database 26, and the autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 identifies an occupant and reads, from the database 26,the information indicating whether or not the corresponding occupant hasa driver's license. Then, if the corresponding occupant does not have adriver's license, the autonomous driving control unit 12 excludes thatoccupant from the candidates for driver. At this time, for example, theautonomous driving control unit 12 may identify the occupant using faceauthentication technology from the images captured by the camera 18, ormay identify the occupant by means of personal information relating tothe occupants sitting in the seats that has been input by the occupantsoperating the display/control panel 24.

Furthermore, regarding whether or not the occupants have been drinkingalcohol, the autonomous driving control unit 12 reads, from theoccupants, information indicating whether or not the occupants have beendrinking alcohol by acquiring the detection results of the alcoholsensors 16 and detecting whether or not alcohol is present in thebreaths of the occupants. Then, if a given occupant has been drinkingalcohol, the autonomous driving control unit 12 excludes that occupantfrom the candidates for driver in the same way as when an occupant doesnot have a driver's license.

Furthermore, regarding the physical condition of the occupants, theautonomous driving control unit 12 reads, from the occupants,information indicating the physical condition of the occupants byacquiring the detection results of the heart rate sensors 22 anddetecting the physical condition of the occupants. For example, theautonomous driving control unit 12 detects the physical condition of theoccupants by determining whether or not the heart rates of the occupantsare in a predetermined normal heart rate range. The autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 may also detect the physical condition of the occupantsby detecting, from the imaging results of the camera 18, whether or notthe occupants' eyes are open, the number of times the occupants blink,and the emotions of the occupants. Then, in this modification, theautonomous driving control unit 12 assigns 5 points as a weighting to anoccupant whose physical condition is good and assigns 0 points as aweighting to an occupant whose physical condition is not good. Forexample, the autonomous driving control unit 12 evaluates the physicalcondition of a given occupant as good in a case where the heart rate ofthat occupant is in the predetermined range or in a case where, inaddition to this, the eyes of that occupant are open, the number oftimes that that occupant blinks is in the range of a predeterminednumber of blinks, and the facial expression of that occupant is apredetermined facial expression.

Furthermore, the facing directions and positions of the seats may beobtained by functioning the camera 18 as a detection unit and thatacquire images by the camera 18 to detect the facing directions andpositions of the seats. Further, the facing directions and positions ofthe seats may be detected from the controlled states of the seats by theseat position changing unit 28. Further, in this modification, theautonomous driving control unit 12 assigns 5 points as a weighting tothe occupant sitting in the seat facing the vehicle traveling directionand positioned on the vehicle rear side on the vehicle width directiondriving position side (a seat facing forward at rear of D side).Furthermore, the autonomous driving control unit 12 assigns 3 points asa weighting to the occupant sitting in the seat facing the vehicletraveling direction and positioned on the vehicle rear side on thevehicle width direction opposite side (a seat facing forward at rear ofP side). Furthermore, the autonomous driving control unit 12 assigns 1point as a weighting to the occupants sitting in the other seats facingthe opposite direction of the vehicle traveling direction (facingrearward). The autonomous driving unit 12 performs the weighting suchthat the occupants sitting in the seats facing the vehicle travelingdirection are evaluated as suitable to be the driver because the driverneeds time to redirect his/her mental faculties and adjust his/her senseof physical orientation before becoming accustomed to the behavior ofthe vehicle and the scenery when the facing directions of the seats arechanged. Furthermore, the autonomous driving control unit 12 reduces theweighting for the occupant in the seat facing the vehicle travelingdirection but whose distance from the driving position is greater. Notethat the above “D” denotes the driving position (driver's seat), and “P”denotes the opposite position from the driving position (front passengerseat).

Furthermore, the occupants' driving skills relating to the travel routeare registered beforehand in the database 26, and the autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 identifies an occupant and reads, from the database 26,the information indicating the driving skills of the correspondingoccupant. Then, the autonomous driving control unit 12 assigns 2 pointsas a weighting in a case where the corresponding occupant is a skillfuldriver, assigns 1 point as a weighting in a case where the correspondingoccupant is a normal driver, and assigns 0 points as a weighting in acase where the corresponding occupant is a poor driver.

Furthermore, regarding driving distribution, driving history informationis stored beforehand in the database 26, and the autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 identifies an occupant and reads, from the database 26,the driving history information of the corresponding occupant asinformation indicating driving distribution. Then, the autonomousdriving control unit 12 assigns 2 points as a weighting in a case wherethe corresponding occupant has no driving history and has not yet driventhe vehicle, and assigns 0 points as a weighting in a case where thecorresponding occupant has a driving history and has driven the vehicle.Here, the autonomous driving control unit 12 can also set the weightingin view of the fact that, for example, a father drives more frequently.

Furthermore, regarding whether or not the occupants want to drive, theautonomous driving control unit 12 reads, from the occupants,information indicating whether or not the occupants want to drive bydetecting whether or not the occupants want to drive by means of voicerecognition using the microphone 20 or input from the occupantsoperating the display/control panel 24. Then, the autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 assigns 5 points as a weighting to an occupant who wantsto drive and assigns 0 points as a weighting to an occupant who does notwant to drive.

Then, the autonomous driving control unit 12 evaluates the occupants whoare suitable to drive by adding up the evaluation values describedabove. In the above example, the larger an evaluation value is, the moresuitable the corresponding occupant is to drive.

Note that, if the sum totals of the evaluation values of two or moreoccupants end up being the same, the autonomous driving control unit 12may give priority to the occupant having a higher evaluation valuerelating to a predetermined condition, such as, for example, physicalcondition or the facing direction and position of the seat. Furthermore,the numbers of points for the weightings are given as an example and arenot limited to the above numbers of points. Furthermore, an example hasbeen described above where the larger an evaluation value is, the moresuitable the corresponding occupant is to drive, but the evaluationvalues may also be conversely set such that the smaller an evaluationvalue is, the more suitable the corresponding occupant is to drive.

In this way, when switching from the manual driving mode to theautonomous driving mode, the present modification may safely switch tothe autonomous driving mode by evaluating and selecting an occupant whois suitable to be the next driver.

Note that, in the above exemplary embodiment, a case in which thepresent disclosure is applied to a vehicle having four seats, has beendescribed. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above,and may also be applied to, for example, a vehicle having two seats or avehicle having five or more seats.

Furthermore, in the above exemplary embodiment, a case in which the seatthe driver sits in the autonomous driving mode faces the vehicletraveling direction in a position on the vehicle rear side on thevehicle width direction driving position side, has been described.However, the position of the seat in which the driver sits in theautonomous driving mode is not limited to this. Namely, at least one ofthe positions or facing directions of the seats may be changed such thatin the manual driving mode the first seat in which the driver sits facesthe vehicle traveling direction in the driving position, and in theautonomous driving mode the first seat faces the vehicle travelingdirection and without the other seats interfering with the first seat.For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the seat in which the driver sits inthe autonomous driving mode may face the vehicle traveling direction ina position on the vehicle rear side (the row on the vehicle rear side)on the vehicle width direction opposite side (the front passenger seatside) of the driving position. As shown in FIG. 7B, the seat in whichthe driver sits in the autonomous driving mode may face the vehicletraveling direction in a position on the vehicle front side on thevehicle width direction opposite side (the front passenger seat side) ofthe driving position. The autonomous driving mode seat arrangement mayalso be such that the seat in which the driver sits in the autonomousdriving mode remains in the same position and faces the same directionas in the manual driving mode but at least one of the positions orfacing directions of the other seats is changed. In any case, in theautonomous driving mode the driver faces the traveling direction, solike in the above exemplary embodiment, the time it takes to reach astate suitable for driving may be shortened when switching from theautonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

Furthermore, in the above exemplary embodiment, a case in which the seatarrangement can be changed to the normal seat arrangement (anarrangement in which all the seats face the vehicle traveling direction)and the face-to-face seat arrangement, has been described. However, theseat arrangement is not limited thereto. For example, the seatarrangement may also be changed to a seat arrangement in which the seatson the vehicle front side face the vehicle traveling direction and theseats on the vehicle rear side face the opposite direction of thevehicle traveling direction. The seat arrangement may also be changed toother seat arrangements.

Furthermore, in the above exemplary embodiment, a case in which thepresent disclosure is applied to four seats placed in two rows each inthe vehicle width direction and the vehicle front and rear direction,has been described. However, the placement of the plural seats is notlimited to this. For example, the present disclosure may be applied toplural seats placed in two rows each in the vehicle width direction andthree rows each in the vehicle front and rear direction, plural seatsplaced in three rows in the vehicle width direction and two rows in thevehicle front and rear direction, and plural seats placed in two rows inthe vehicle width direction on the vehicle front side and three rows inthe vehicle width direction on the vehicle rear side. Further, thepresent disclosure may be applied to plural seats placed in one row inthe vehicle width direction as shown in FIG. 8A or plural seats placedin one row in the vehicle front and rear direction as shown in FIG. 8B.In these cases also, at least one of the positions or facing directionsof the seats may be changed such that when switching from the autonomousdriving mode to the manual driving mode, the first seat faces thevehicle traveling direction in the driving position and when switchingfrom the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode, the firstseat faces the vehicle traveling direction and without the other seatsinterfering with the first seat.

Furthermore, the process in FIG. 4 performed by the autonomous drivingcontrol unit 12 in the above exemplary embodiment may be a softwareprocess performed by a computer executing a program or may be a processperformed by hardware. The process may also be a process combining bothsoftware and hardware. Furthermore, the program in the case where theprocess is performed by software may be stored in various types ofstorage media and distributed.

Moreover, the present disclosure is not limited the above and may bemodified and implemented in various ways in addition to what isdescribed above without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a mode switching unitconfigured to switch a driving mode of a vehicle from a first drivingmode to a second driving mode different from the first driving mode, orfrom the second driving mode to the first driving mode; and a changingunit configured to (i) change a position of a first seat of the vehicle,in a case in which the first driving mode is switched to the seconddriving mode by the mode switching unit, and (ii) change the position ofthe first seat to a position which is occupied by a second seatdifferent from the first seat during the second driving mode, in a casein which the second driving mode is switched to the first driving modeby the mode switching unit.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the changing unit moves the first seat in a direction thatopposes a traveling direction of the vehicle.
 3. The apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein the first driving mode is a mode in which behaviorof the vehicle is controlled based on sensors mounted on the vehicle,and the second driving mode is a mode in which behavior of the vehicleis controlled by operation by a driver of the vehicle.
 4. The apparatusaccording to claim 3, further comprising a selection unit configured toselect an occupant who is suitable to drive from among occupants ridingin the vehicle, in a case in which the mode switching unit switches thedriving mode from the first driving mode to the second driving mode. 5.The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the selection unit selectsthe occupant who is suitable to drive based on biological information ofthe occupants riding in the vehicle, positions and facing directions ofseats in which the occupants are seated, and information relating tosuitability of the occupants.
 6. An apparatus comprising: a modeswitching unit configured to switch a driving mode of a vehicle from afirst driving mode to a second driving mode different from the firstdriving mode, or from the second driving mode to the first driving mode;and a changing unit configured to (i) change a position of a first seatof the vehicle in a case in which the first driving mode is switched tothe second driving mode by the mode switching unit, and (ii) change theposition of the first seat and a position of a second seat differentfrom the first seat such that the first seat and the second seat do notinterfere with each other, in a case in which the second driving mode isswitched to the first driving mode by the mode switching unit.
 7. Theapparatus according to claim 6, wherein the changing unit moves thefirst seat in a direction that opposes a traveling direction of thevehicle.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the firstdriving mode is a mode in which behavior of the vehicle is controlledbased on sensors mounted on the vehicle, and the second driving mode isa mode in which behavior of the vehicle is controlled by operation by adriver of the vehicle.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, furthercomprising a selection unit configured to select an occupant who issuitable to drive from among occupants riding in the vehicle, in a casein which the mode switching unit switches the driving mode from thefirst driving mode to the second driving mode.
 10. The apparatusaccording to claim 9, wherein the selection unit selects the occupantwho is suitable to drive based on biological information of theoccupants riding in the vehicle, positions and facing directions of theseats in which the occupants are seated, and information relating tosuitability of the occupants.
 11. A method comprising: switching adriving mode of a vehicle from a first driving mode to a second drivingmode different from the first driving mode, or from the second drivingmode to the first driving mode; changing a position of a first seat ofthe vehicle, in a case in which the first driving mode is switched tothe second driving mode; and changing the position of the first seat toa position which is occupied by a second seat different from the firstseat during the second driving mode, in a case in which the seconddriving mode is switched to the first driving mode.
 12. A methodcomprising: switching a driving mode of a vehicle from a first drivingmode to a second driving mode different from the first driving mode, orfrom the second driving mode to the first driving mode; changing aposition of a first seat of the vehicle in a case in which the firstdriving mode is switched to the second driving mode; and changing theposition of the first seat and a position of a second seat differentfrom the first seat such that the first seat and the second seat do notinterfere with each other, in a case in which the second driving mode isswitched to the first driving mode.